Review: Ross Street Roasting Co. China Yunnan Province Fuyan Estate (Tama, Iowa)

Earlier this year, I was introduced to the lovely folks and the cool business model at Javaya – for more on them, here’s my blog entry about my experience ordering through their website. They aren’t a subscription model that locks you into getting shipments of coffee at pre-determined times. Rather, they operate more like a coffee advisor, giving you suggestions based on your personal tastes, and providing an easy way to order coffees from roasters you may or may not have heard of. I liked the no-pressure, no-commitment approach and I made a mental note to visit their site again to see what their suggestions would be for me. When I next visited their site, I was intrigued by this coffee from Ross Street Roasting Co. (a roaster I had not yet heard of), because it was the first coffee I’d ever seen to originate in China! I snapped it up right away.

(Later that same month, I visited a local roaster to me, Eiland Coffee Roasters, and they also had Chinese coffee for sale… I don’t remember the specific farm their beans came from, but it appears that Chinese coffee is starting to make inroads into the US market. Should be interesting to see how well it gains a foothold over time.)

Whole bean: Nothing particular stood out but I noted that the beans looked nicely and evenly roasted, and were not oily at all. The packaging indicated that this batch was roasted medium-light (Level 2 out of 5, lightest to darkest).

V60: At a 3:30 extraction, these beans brewed tasted a bit hollow in flavor to me. I don’t drink a lot of coffees from Asia but these tasted pretty close to what I’d expect from Indonesian coffee.

Chemex: “Clean” mouthfeel, with a bit of star anise on the finish but not super flavorful.

French press: Nice thick texture, with nutty flavors (cashew, mostly). Sweet and clean, and the best of the lot.

AeroPress: Fine overall, but a bit more sour in flavor than the French press rendition.

Summary: If you like coffees from Sumatra and India, this Chinese coffee may be right up your alley. I’d recommend it in a French press for the best flavor and texture.

From the roaster: No notes provided

I took so long in writing this review that this coffee is no longer available from the roaster, but here’s a link to their online store:
Ross Street Roasting Co.

Review conducted 10 days post-roast.

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